00983 - History of Political Doctrines (A-E)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students:  - know the fundamental features of the modern and contemporary History of Political Thought, - know the main forms of political communication and understand the complex relationships between ideas and facts, - know the most important political doctrines and are able to critically analyze them in connection with the relevant cultural, institutional, historical and social context,- is able to understand the most important political and institutional changes in Western history.

Course contents

Through the methodological tools provided by history of political thought, the course aims to  reconstruct the history of modern and contemporary political thought, highlighting both its continuities and ruptures. A particular attention will be paid to the following concepts: State (Absolute State, Welfare State), Constitution, Sovereignity, Rights, Freedom, Democracy, Citizenship, Revolution, Peace and War.

 

The course will  focus on the models of liberalism by the main Liberal political thinkers (Constant, Humboldt, Tocqueville, Stuart Mill, Minghetti, Hayek, Berlin, Nozick, Rawls).

Readings/Bibliography

1)  Students must study the following texts:

R. GHERARDI (a cura di), La politica e gli Stati. Problemi e figure del pensiero occidentale , Roma, Carocci, 2011, Nuova edizione.

STUDENT NOT ATTENDING THE COURSE one of these texts:

M. BARBERIS, Libertà , Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999;

M. FIORAVANTI, Costituzione, Il Mulino, 1999.

2)  ALL STUDENTS : one or two of these texts:

B. Constant, Lo spirito di conquista e l'usurpazione, Liberilibri, Macerata 2008;

B. Constant, Princìpi di politica, Rubbettino, 2007;

A. von Humboldt, I limiti dell'attività dello Stato, in Scritti filosofici, Utet, 2007 ;

J. Stuart Mill, Saggio sulla libertà, Il Saggiatore o Bur;

 A. de Tocqueville, La democrazia in America (Rizzoli o Utet);

M. Minghetti, Il cittadino e lo Stato, Morcelliana, Brescia, 2011;

J. S. Mill, Considerazioni sul governo rappresentativo, Editori Riuniti;

I. Berlin, Due concetti di libertà, Feltrinelli, 2000;

F. A. von Hayek, La via della schiavitù, Rubbettino, 2011;

R. Nozick, Anarchia, Stato, Utopia, Il Saggiatore, 2008;

J. Rawls, Una teoria della giustizia, Feltrinelli, 2009;

Teaching methods

Lectures with presentation and discussion of classical political texts

Assessment methods

For students attending classes , assessment will be conducted during the course through a written texts.

 

For students not attending classes , the final exam will consist in a oral examination after  a satisfactory written text should be attended on the mandatory textbook (R. Gherardi (a cura di), La politica e gli Stati.   Problemi e figure del pensiero occidentale , Roma, Carocci, 2011, Nuova edizione). Both the written text and the oral exam will be held on the same day.

Office hours

See the website of Raffaella Gherardi